amazing sight on shields pier this morning

[micky-quayle]

went down the pier first light this morning to fish upto high water. the fishing was nowt special a few macky and sand eels. as i was walking off about 7-30ish i saw an amazing sight, not more than 30yds off the pier near the long beach the biggest seal i have ever seen surfaced with a salmon in its mouth that i would estimate a minimum of 20lb probably nearer 30lb. i watched it devour this which must have taken it a full 10 minutes or so, dozens of gull were circling and diving to pick up the scraps, there was an oil slick off the fish oil that must have been 50 yards long. when it finnished its meal it slowly swam away on the surface, a fantastic sight to witness.

 

[Tat]

No camera either.Shame, it would have been worth seeing.

 

[RobAdair]

I was down on Shields pier early Saturday morning and it was there then, swimming around just off the blocks. Biggest seal I\'ve saw around here. I had assumed it was after the macky, but there was a few salmon surfacing in the harbour mouth, so maybe that\'s what lured it in so close. Great to watch all the same though.

 

[TC]

I\'ve heard a few reports recently about a BIG seal hanging around the pier area....maybe the same one.....dunno if their territorial, but perhaps it\'s staked its\' claim on the area for the time being.

I remember when I was a kid, it was quite a rare thing to see a seal from the pier (let alone in the harbour). They seem to be regular visitors, now.

 

[peter.m]

Two biguns hanging around the estuary at Berwick on Sunday.